overturn

/ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈtɜː(ɹ)n/

//ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈtɜː(ɹ)n// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"overturn" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“overturn” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,890. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,890
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To turn over, capsize or upset.

Corpus desk

Index EN-overturn · overturn · English

overturn · rank #21,890 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,890
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH padded

Nearest frequency peer: padded (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “overturn”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “overturn” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

overturn vs overrun
75% similar
overturn vs Overton
63% similar
overturn vs overture
88% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for overturn
PropertyValue
Headwordoverturn
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈtɜː(ɹ)n/
Letters8
Frequency rank#21,890
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “overturn”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).overturnlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “padded” (#21,891), “panicking” (#21,893), “pantheon” (#21,894). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “overturn” is #21,890. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around overturn (IPA /ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈtɜː(ɹ)n/), averb. Corpus frequency is #21,890 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for overturn, with forms such as "oevrturn", "overrturn", and "overtrun". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "overrun", "Overton", "overture", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English overturnen, equivalent to over- + turn. Compare also Middle English overterven (“to overturn”), see terve. The correct English form is overturn, spelled O-V-E-R-T-U-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To turn over, capsize or upset.
  2. 2
    To overthrow or destroy.
  3. 3
    To reverse (a decision); to overrule or rescind.
  4. 4
    To diminish the significance of a previous defeat by winning; to make a comeback from.
  5. 5
    To undergo a limnic eruption, where dissolved gas suddenly erupts from the depths.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how overturn appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. About three or four minutes later still an express freight on the up main line ran into the wreckage at about 35 m.p.h. Its engine also overturned and 15 more wagons were added to the mounting pile of wreckage.
  2. We also found that the only emergency egress from the tram was by smashing the front or rear windscreens, and that emergency lighting had failed when the tram overturned.

Etymology

From Middle English overturnen, equivalent to over- + turn. Compare also Middle English overterven (“to overturn”), see terve.

This word in other languages

volcar(Español)renverser(Français)verwerfen(Deutsch)capotar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oevrturn
  • overrturn
  • overtrun
  • overtturn
  • overtunr
  • overturnn
  • overturrn
  • overutrn
  • ovetrurn
  • ovreturn
  • ovverturn
  • voerturn

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of overturn - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

oevrturn2overrturn1overtrun2overtturn1overtunr2overturnn1overturrn1overutrn2
Edit distance from "overturn"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "overturn"?
"overturn" is spelled O-V-E-R-T-U-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈtɜː(ɹ)n/.
What does "overturn" mean?
As a verb, "overturn" means: To turn over, capsize or upset.
What words are commonly confused with "overturn"?
"overturn" is commonly confused with "overrun", "Overton", "overture". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "overturn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "overturn" is /ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈtɜː(ɹ)n/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "overturn"?
From Middle English overturnen, equivalent to over- + turn. Compare also Middle English overterven (“to overturn”), see terve. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "overturn", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pantheon#21,894mindless#21,870memorize#21,862medalist#21,858

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

McNamara12 variantsleveling12 variantssketchy12 variantssynergy12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list